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Douglas J's avatar

I appreciate Lloyd's work to try to clarify this issue.

I'm not totally satisfied with, "After scanning this research" as evidence. Some of these links don't take you to the studies, so they are effectively voided because the reader can't check them. One of the links that did work, to a Lancet article, states, "other studies have found no such association" of gas stoves with respiratory issues. The older study states that their data "suggest that exposure to gas stoves may be associated with reduced pulmonary function but do not show increases in respiratory illness among children exposed to gas stoves. Understanding of the health effects of these indoor pollutants will be improved by studies quantifying individual exposure to...gas stove combustion products."

It would be useful to find studies that quantify the relative risks, and also studies that show causation rather than correlation, and discuss this.

The real estate crunch necessitated my move to my new place. My current landlords installed a gas stove a few years ago, while I tried to persuade them to install an electric one. But they wouldn't do it, due to the added costs of putting in new electric stuff and their preference for gas. I don't think this is a high health risk for me, but I would like to read more studies. I try to ventilate with open windows and I use a pressure cooker that uses a fraction of the usual energy, and I don't use the gas oven that takes a lot of energy. Hopefully I'll be ok.

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Jack's avatar

So when the power goes out (which happens several times in the winter due to winter storms), that sometime lasts for days. We need to break-out the camp stoves or convert to wood for our meals, while we take cold showers and baths? In other words, camp-out in our own house? Can't go to a motel because they have no power either. My family has used gas for generations with no ill effects.

Sorry, but, I'd rather have instant on gas stoves and water heater than that.

And do not forget about people with gas wells on their property, while the income is not much, most of them have contracts which include unlimited gas usage, which is used for power also.

Another thing to consider, which is far-looking and won't make sense to some, is that if states outlaw gas appliances in the house, pretty soon they will eventually outlaw outside gas appliances also, because of environmental concerns... Also, when gas goes, so goes wood....

This is an area where the govt. should keep their noses out, and let the consumers buy whatever the consumer demands, at least till the infrastructure is improved to where there is 100 percent cheap power 100 percent of the time.

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